The Matt Townsend Show

Matt Townsend specializes in energizing and involving audiences with his unique approach to building and maintaining successful relationships. Known as one of America’s top presenters in the field of Human Relations and Development, Matt blends humor and story telling with interactive, real-life solutions that motivate and inspire his listeners.

Latest Episodes:

Journalistic Credibility, Parental Depression, Harper Lee Feb 09, 2015

Show notes

JOURNALISTIC CREDIBILITY Allegations continue to spread about Brian Williams, anchor and managing editor of "NBC Nightly News," was embellishing or making up facts on two major news stories he was involved with. We talk with Robert Walz, a professor of journalism at BYU, who compared it to a doctor losing his professional respect for "killing the patient." He said there's a zero-tolerance policy among journalists for false facts. If the allegations turn out to be true, NBC would have to fire Williams, though Walz believes they won't because Williams is more of an entertainer than a real journalist. He describes Williams as a commoddity NBC uses to sell credibility to its audience. PARENTING ROLES AND DEPRESSION In stressful family circumstances, parenthood sometimes take a bigger toll on fathers’ mental health. We talk with Dr. Kevin Shafer, a professor of social work at BYU, who explored this topic with researchers at Princeton University. He says parents who take on multiple roles at home are more likely to be stressed and suffer depression. “If you say parenting and depression, the first thing people think of is postpartum moms,” said Kevin Shafer, a professor of social work at BYU. “But both moms and dads experience stress and certain kinds of parenting roles that can be very, very stressful.” SEQUEL "TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD" Harper Lee is a notoriously private person, says Kristin Matthews, a BYU professor of English at BYU. So it caught many of us off guard last week when she announced she was releasing a sequel to her best-selling novel "To Kill a Mockingbird." We explore the controversy around her announcement. Matthews tells us that Lee's sister spent her life shielding her from the media, but she died recently. That lends the possibility that Lee may not be in sound mind, or she's being taken advantage of. 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:12:51 - JOURNALISTIC CREDIBILITY 00:20:54 - Robert Walz 00:54:09 - PARENTING ROLES AND DEPRESSION 01:77:39 - SEQUEL "TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD"

Movies and More Feb 06, 2015

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Matt talks with Sarah Gowans about how to introduce your kids to eating healthier foods.

Current Events Feb 05, 2015

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Matt talks current events with Joe Cannon, former editor of the Deseret Morning News in Salt Lake City.

Getting Real about Having It All Feb 04, 2015

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Matt talks with Megan Dalla about how you can be your best and love your career.

Turning off the Worry Feb 03, 2015

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Matt talks with Dr. David Sack, who is board certified in psychiatry, about ten ways a person can turn off their worries.

Nostalgia and Coping Feb 02, 2015

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Matt talks with Krystine Batcho, who discovered that many people who are prone to nostalgia do an excellent job maintaining personal relationships.

Family Whispering Jan 30, 2015

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Family Whispering (12:54) Melinda Blau , has a Bachelor of Science degree in special education and has had a long career as a journalist. Along the way she met Tracy Hogg and together they collaborated on several best selling books including Secrets of the Baby Whisperer and The Baby Whisperer Solves All Your Problems. Tracy Hogg died in 2004 but before she passed Melinda and Tracy put together a plan on a final book: Family Whispering: The Baby Whisperer's Commonsense Strategies for Communicating and Connecting with the People You Love and Making Your Whole Family Stronger. Melinda Blau and Dr. Townsend discuss the legacy of Tracy Hogg and the book Famil Whisperering.

Hospice Care and Death Jan 29, 2015

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Matt talks with Fran Smith, communications consultant, about hospice and end-of-life care.

Aggressiveness Jan 28, 2015

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Matt talks with Nathaniel Lambert, assistant professor at BYU, about aggressive behavior.

Cheating Jan 27, 2015

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Matt talks with Gordon Bruin, a licences professional counselor, about our behaviors in life and how our brain works with them.